I really need to get backpacking for some peacefulness in my mind. It's been too long. Once we get a break from El nino, I need to plan a trip by myself into the southern part of the state, where the saguaros live.

I did love walking amongst the saguaros, that sounds like a lovely trip to plan out, Jilly!

In the meantime, you can go for short walks, and explore your local world! It really helps your peace of mind so much to be alone in nature, to breathe in the fresh air and to remember the long term cycles of life. It puts everything else into perspective.

True enough! I hope El Nino has less of an effect in So Cal for our 2-3 months there.

Dan says there seems to be a break in the storms right now. We went for a walk both yesterday and today to celebrate. Yesterday along the Verde River and today along West Clear Creek. Everything was on the muddy side but it felt so good to be out in the sun and exploring! We had GREAT conversations and we felt a lot closer to each other.

It was a nice break from all the hustle and bustle and stress of moving and worrying about our differences.

I got in two hikes since I wrote! One along the west clear creek and one on the red slickrock in sedona. it takes so little to make me feel happier.

We are putting off the actual driving out of AZ for at least two more weeks so i can hopefully get some more hikes in. I am targetting Beaver Creek and further up West Clear, as well as a few more Sedona trails. I would also enjoy a backpack in the superstitions near Phx. We just need El Nino to cease and let things dry up.

Still too cold for The Canyon. But If I can squeak in a trip in there, I have a loop along the Tonto I wish to do solo.

I got in a really lovely hike yesterday in West Clear Canyon. The creek is swollen beyond anything I have ever seen. my guess is the snows in the high country were pounded this year and now that spring is here, everything is running very high.

SO I am glad that I got in the West Clear area I wanted to! Wet Beaver Creek is next, and I hope I have time to do it before the end of the month when we leave.

At this point I realize that the Grand Canyon isn't going to happen this year. But I am sure there will be tons of nice along along the west coast ahead for me.

In any case, my hike yesterday felt so good. I am still just vibrating with happiness over it.

Jilly, so you are moving! Do you not enjoy it any more? I do not any more, but in my younger days, when I was with my childrens dad, we moved all the time! I liked it for a couple years till we had children. Then it was a lot of trouble! We were together for 6 years and we must've moved at least once a year, sometimes more. Out of state, to other cities in the state we were in, all over! Now I'm glad I had those experiences to look back on. I know people who have never even left the city they were born in and I feel that they have missed out on something valuable.

You are moving to California? U been there before? Oops, I slipped into text speak! When I've been texting a lot, I find myself hitting a key 2 or 3 times, you know how you do it on your phone! LOL !!

So are you taking your little feral cat with you? Hope so. Or did she have them yet? How is that going?

As far as relieving stress, since my Merlin passed, I have not gotten back to any routine. Really I sort of (sometimes) flail about, not having a plan or whatever! I'm trying to get a handle on that but I forget to think of it a lot of the time. I'm not so pitiful any more so much. But I still have my times of stressing out over the fact that he is gone and will not be back! LOL. I'm being light here because I hate sinking into that abyss. I avoid all things sad now, generally. Sometimes when I start thinking about it or see something sad on TV, I just have to jump up (literally) and say to myself " No no no I'm NOT going to do this"!

So I'm considering getting some grief counseling soon. I guess that would be in the category of relieving stress. Or managing it.